locke



2'Sheets-Sheet 1.-

S. D. Loom. Grain'Binder.

No. 240,432. Patented April 19,188I.

NAPETERS. PHOTO-LITMOGRAHEH, WASHINGTON, D C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 S'. D. LOGKE.M

, Grain Binder. N0. 240,432. Patented April'19, 188|.

FIG 5 v llml-llhlllmllnl'l UNITED STATES Enten.

PATENT GRAIN-BINDER.

SPCIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,432, dated April 19, 1881.

Application filed January 12, 1880.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, SYLvANUs D. LooKE, of Hoosick Falls, in the county of Rensselaer and State vof N ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Binding Grain, of which the following is' a specification.

My invention relates to that class of grainbinders in which the binding mechanism is automatically started and the bundle sized by the pressure of the accumulating gavel against some portion of the compressing devices; and it consists in novel means whereby the machine may be set at will, while in action, to be 4automatically started by the accumulation' of larger or of smaller gavels, and in such details of construction as are hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure lis a top-plan view of a. machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section upon the line 2 2 of Fig.'1, looking from the rear of the machine; Fig. 3 is a section upon the line 3 3 of Fig.1,looking from the front of the machine. Fig. 5 is a bottomplan view; Fig. 6, a front elevation, and Figs. 4, 7, and' 8 are details.

For the' purpose of illustrating my inventiou'I have shown it as applied to a grainbinder of the type known as the Holmes binder, and the machine in its general features, and as to those partswhich are omitted frommy drawings as not necessary to a perfectunderstandingof the invention, will be found described in the specification of Letters Patent No; 210,533, granted December 3, 1878, toH. A. and W. M. Holmes.

`A is the elevator-frame, and A the binderframe, the latter of which may be adjusted relatively to the formerin the ordinary manner tocom pensate for varying lengths of grain. y In bearings upon the binder-frame turns the shaft B, having at its rear end a sprocketwheel, b, to receive power from the harvester, and at its forward end a pinion, b', meshing into and driving a gear-wheel, c, which runs loosely upon the shaft C.

A clutch-sleeve, D, is keyed to and slides back and forth upon the shaft C,and by means of a coiled spring', c', is held normally ,in engagement with a clutch-face or counterpart upon the gear-wheel, so that the shaft may be actuated by the latter, and may, in turn, actuate the band-securing devices and binder-arm with which it is connected. The clutch is, for safety, a one-way clutch, drivin g the shaft only during the forward movement of the harvester, and passing out of engagement in case it is backed.

Fast to a counter-shaft, C', carrying the disks a and packing-arms a', is a gear-wheel, c, which meshes with and is driven by the pinion b. As in the Holmes binder the'packing-armsare pivoted to the disks and controlled in their positions by cams B', and as in that binder the arms, or the shaft by which they are driven, will be thrown out of action by suitable automatic means whenever the binding devices are started. Vith vibrating packing-arms, however, such as used in some machines of this class, it has not been found necessary to provide for an interrupted action.

At the outer end of the main shaft C is a crank, E, with its wrist-pin projecting into a cam-slot, e, in the pivoted lever E. A link or pitman, c', depends from this lever, and is connected with a crank, f, upon the rock-shaft F, which subtends the grainreceptacleland carries the binding-arm G. The link or pitman is made adjustable to or from the pivot of its actuating-lever by means of a series of holes, g, or a slot in said lever, essentially in the manner explained in Letters Patent No. 56,580, granted me July 24, 1866, in order to compensate for wear or springing of the binder-arm on the parts which it connects.

The band-securing devices are geared with the shaft C at an intermediate point, so as to be operated in unison with' the binder-arm. When the gear-wheel and the shaft are clutched together the shaft is caused to make a single complete revolution, actuating the binder-arm and band-securing devices, and at the termination of this revolution is automatically unclutched from the gear-wheel, and the binding mechanism is brought to rest with the parts in their original relation to each other, and so remains until again started by the reclutchlng of the shaft andgear-wheel. This automatic unclutching is effected by instrumentalities similar to those described and claimed in the above-mentioned Letters Patent granted to me, and in'reissues thereof dated December 30, 1879, and numbered 9,014 and 9,015.

A shipper or disen gagin g arm, d, is mounted IOO upon a pivot parallel with the clutch, and rests or is held by spring-pressure in contact with its periphery. Upon the sliding half of the clutch is a projection, d', which, as the shaft revolves, comes in contact with the disengaging-arm, and, by cam-action therewith, throws the sliding half away and disengages it from the converse part. In the patent above adverted to I have shown the cam surface or ineline upon the shipper or disengagin g arm. In the present case it is shown upon or as part of the projection from the clutch. Its location is immaterial so that it has the proper shape and direction.

When the binding mechanism has been brought to a' stop by the action of the shipper it will not be again started until the latter is raised away from the projection upon the clutch so as to permit the spring c to force the sliding half into engagement with its counterpart upon the gear-wheel. This, as inmy former patent, is accomplished by a lever, H, acting upon the disengaging-arm, which lever I now mount upon a vertical pivot beneath the arm and in such relation thereto that a heel or projection, h, depending from the arm on the farther side of its axis, may iit into a socket in the rear end of the lever andf'be caused to rock the disengaging-arm upon its axis or pivot 3o by force applied to said lever. The front or power end of the lever comes behind the compressor-arm I, against which the incoming grain is fed and compacted bythe rotary packers. As the compressor-arm yields before the accumulating gavel it pushes back the lever and causes the shipper to be swung up and away from the clutch, which thereupon springs into engagement and starts the binding mechanism, while, as before stated, the packingarms cease to act.

The compressor-arm is pivoted to an overhanging lever, J, connected at a point near its fulcrum to a second lever, K, by means of a stirrup, k. The last-named lever rests upon the shaft O, and as the binding operation is completed is momen tly lifted by a cam, k', upon the shaft, and, in turn, lifts the lever J and compressor-arm to permit the ejection of the bound sheaf. By this action the shipping- 5o lever is released and the disengaging-arm, by its own weight or by the force of the spring i, is returned to place upon the periphery of the clutch, in position to cause the disengagement of the latter. The sheaf having been dropped or ejected the compressor-arm falls to its original position, in readiness for the next gavel, the clutch is unshipped, and the binding devices stopped, until the packing-arms, which now resume their function, have forced sufficient grain into the receptacle to again actuate the shipping-lever and disen gaging-arm, when the binding operation is repeated.

The machine, as so far described, will be automatically started whenever the pressure upon the compressor-arm is sufficient to overcome the stress of the spring, by which the latter is held toward the grain, and force the shipping-lever back. Therefore, without further provisions, like quantities of gra-in would be bound at every binding operation and the sheaves would be all of practically uniform size.

It is frequently desirable, as the crop varies in thickness or in condition, to bind sheaves of varying sizes, and to attain this end in machines which, like the present, are automatically started by the pressure of the gavel, several devices have heretofore been used, all of which, however, involved the objectionable necessity of stoppin g the team and the action of the harvester while they were being manipulated and the adjustment altered.

In my invention I bring the automatic ac tion of the binder so under controlof the attendant or drivel' that without break or interruption of the regular action of any part ofthe machinery it may be set at will to be started by the accumulation of larger or of smaller gavels. This is done by devices which change instantaneously and at will the area in which the grain may accumulate before the shippinglever is actuated. l

I form the pivot of the shipping-lever upon the lower end of an arm, L, pivoted to the standard M upon the frame, so that the shipping-lever may be swung laterally back and forth to bring its power end nearer to or further from the packing mechanism. Above its pivot the arm L is prolonged to form a handlever, and is provided with a suitable catch, l, which takes into any one of a series of holes, on, arranged in a segment upon the standard, or into a rack upon this segment, whereby the shipping-lever may be given as many adjustments as there are holes in the segment or indentations in the rack.

A spring, n, upon the pivot, or any suitable guard or keeper controllable by the grasp of the hand, may be employed to prevent accidental displacement of the arm L, and instead of locking the latter directly into the standard, to which itis pivoted, it may, in order to adapt it to the position of the drivers seat, be connected by a link with an independent handlever, which lever lwill have its appropriate rack or segment and be capable of a sufficient number of adjustments to bring the position of the shipping-lever under complete control.

With this construction itis evident that the binding operation will be hastened or delayed and a smaller or larger sheaf bound, according as the shipping-lever is adjusted nearer to or farther from the packing devices; that the sheaves due to each adjustment will be prac tically uniform in size among themselves while differing from those of any other adjustment, and that the change from one adjustment to another will be accomplished by a simple motion of the hand and arm of the attendant in operating the lever, whether the machine is in action or at rest.

I do not limit my invention to the specific devices herein described, since it is capable of being applied in avarietyof forms, and the con- IOO IIO

IIS

trolling devices may be considerably changed or modified, as will be apparent to any skilled mechanic.

I claim- 5 1. In combination with binding mechanism automatically started by the pressure of they accumulating gavel against a suitable tripping device, means controllable at will, whereby the area in which the grain may accumulate before 1o actuating said device can be instantaneously enlarged or contracted without interrupting the action of the machine.

2. In combination with the yielding compressor-arm, the shipping-leverand the clutch, 15 means controllable at will, while the machine is in action, whereby the compressor-arm may be caused to actuate the shipping-lever at a point nearer to or farther from the packing p devices. zo 3. In combination with the packing devices and the shipping-lever, a movable fulcrum for the latter, whereby said lever may be swung laterally to bringits power end nearer to or farther from the packing devices.

4. In combination with the clutch,'the dis- 2 5 engaging-arm, and the shipping-lever, a movable fulcrum and locking devices, whereby the shipping-lever may be adjusted laterally and 'held in the given adjustment.

SYLVANSl D. LOCKE.

Witnesses:

` WM. M. ARGHLBALD,

N. W. LocKE. 

